In conjunction with the migrant aid organization, Humane Borders, the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner has documented upwards of 3,000 migrant deaths dating back to 2001Footnotes:(The Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner is currently working to recover more information about older deaths including those that occurred in the 1990’s. See humaneborders.org for more information. ). The Office of the Medical Examiner has made these deaths visible in two important ways —posters made and posted by Humane Borders and interactive map with an accompanying searchable database. On both maps red dots serve as an indication of the site where a migrant body was recovered. The entirety of Southern Arizona is covered in a sea of red dots — migrant deaths are widespread both spatially and temporally. Similarly, the interactive map contains more comprehensive data about each death including the individuals’ name and age, as well as coordinates and recovery date. It is important to note that the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner offers robust information about these migrant deaths in large part because the Arizona landscape is comprised of mostly public lands. These deaths are documented because of where they occur rather than some federal mandate. Conversely in Texas, where the land is 95% privately owned, there is a dearth of information about migrant deaths (Heinen). Ultimately, efforts to make migrant deaths visible fall to non-profit organizations, activist groups, and artists.
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